Fidelity--Faithfulness!

 Fidelity—Faithfulness!

 

Thank you, Michelle Malay, for helping me “find my scissors”! That is the expression Joe used to tell her when she was trying to remember a word and simply could not find it up there in that brain! See, lots of us have that problem.

 

Now, to explain why faithfulness means so much: if you promise to love and honor a wife or husband, don’t you feel that it is a life-long commitment? If you swear allegiance to your nation and promise to uphold its laws, don’t you feel that you should fulfill that promise? Some of us know better than to watch the news—even the one station that tells what is probably the truth—FOX. Watching the police officers being beaten by a gang of illegal immigrants who flipped the entire nation off as soon as they walked away from the court—or seeing the scenes described when a student nurse was clubbed to death by an immigrant who was supposedly a “resident” of a town in Georgia—these things make a person of common sense wonder where common sense was slaughtered and then buried! And the upper court telling the state of Texas that they do not have the right to protect their own border nor have the right to send those invaders back to Mexico or other places—these things make a person’s head hurt. If police officers have no right to protect themselves in New York City, the gentlemen of the streets have decided to do it for the officers: “We’ve got your back,” they said. Please God, do not let any of those old veterans be killed or put in prison for protecting those officers. As for Texas, no one has taken up arms yet. This is the beginning of another front—as if the weather and fires were not enough already!

 

Told Michelle that my kids would be concerned that Mom was watching the news again!! Well, one thing today made me smile. A lady in Amarillo saw some trucks hauling hay up to the ranchers and their cattle. She gave each driver a hundred dollar bill for their diesel! Praise God! One other little factoid made me smile: did you know that folks born on February 29 are called “Leaplings”? How about that! They will never be as old as the rest of us since they only get to have a birthday every four years!! Yes, we know that is not exactly accurate, but it still seems kinda neat.

 

It's forty degrees here right now. We have had misty rain most of the day. It’s not the kind of rain that will do anything for the lakes, but it still makes things feel moist out there. Anything that keeps it from being dry and ready to burn beats the hey out of what is going on in the Panhandle. May God bless those folks and their livestock. Lots of folks in this area are offering to haul cattle or put them on their pastures for the time being. If the Panhandle gets some rain—even a couple of inches of snow—they will have green grass soon from the roots of that which burned. Let’s pray for them.

 

Another week and some of my family is supposed to head for Scotland. So excited for them. Have not looked at the weather report for Aberdeen, but know that this is lambing season for those folks. Probably is here, too, but it has been years since this old girl helped with lambs. Remember Granddad had to bring in a few lambs to warm them up on the oven door. Can you imagine? Little wet ears would get frost bite if they were not dried well enough. And those ewes were awfully good about having twins and maybe not taking as good care of both lambs. We always ended up bottle feeding a bunch each year. It was probably hard for Granddad, but it was heaven for me.

 

We know the One that is committed to His promises. He is Faithful. Let us trust that in His care, we shall see the promises.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Fifty-One Degrees!

 Fifty-One Degrees!

 

Dadgumit! Yes, it is STILL February. Yes, winter is not over. And yes, “Sprinter” is the current season—the combination of spring and winter. Ask me if it feels comfortable. You already know the answer! Need coffee for warmth and no caffeine so tonight will be a sleeper. Even so, making some roasts in the big roaster with veggies in a colander set inside the roaster. Have not tried this before, but it’s too cool outside to think and all the inside things call for sitting down near a warm stove. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day.

 

Have to pray hard for the men and women in the Panhandle and northeast of that area. Some ranchers in this area are offering fenced pasture and holding corrals for those who can round up their critters and move them. One place even offered cabins and RV hookups to those burned out. Now that is plum kind. Just wish it were not necessary for so many.

 

By now you may have noticed that Zeke has had an MRI that will take a bit to read to know what kind of prognosis he has. All we can do is pray for the little guy and his parents. You do know that the human brain can heal itself in many ways, don’t you. We had a book to read in a book club study that involved how the brain healed itself after a stroke or other injury. It is absolutely amazing, so don’t be surprised if God heals this little guy before they even know the extent of the injuries.

 

Then there is the granddaughter of Diann Dennis. Raye started running a fever the other night, so her mom ran her to the nearest hospital. They are back at St. Jude’s now if my understanding is correct. Please pray for the entire family. The child is in good hands, but you know the parents are feeling helpless again. The grandmother is taking good care of the two boys, but even grandmothers can feel helpless sometimes. Let us ask God to lift their spirits and heal the child.

 

Sterling called this morning and seemed to be in good spirits. He is not in too much pain currently and seems to think he is well-fed and fairly sassy. If memory serves, it is about the second or third day that “sassy” gets to sit down quite a bit to take it easy after surgery. Will ask him about that in a couple of days. Meanwhile, he said he thought he could eat some more chicken noodle soup or some such. At least he feels like eating. This stuff on my desk that steamed in the roaster is not bad: peas, corn, carrots, and green beans. Has to be chewed some, but that’s ok. These old chompers still grind fairly well.

 

Fried up some chicken livers this morning while thinking about my sister-in-law. Jacqui always loves fried chicken livers. Sterling will eat them, too, but our mom made the very best fried liver smothered in onions. Oh boy! Only Hanan would eat liver willingly and with a smile. Lance and Jennifer thought they had to have a peanut butter sandwich or something along those lines. Lewis would eat fried liver, but he was definitely not fond of it. Funny how folks feel about food. Lance thinks that onions are some kind of poison unless they are in onion rings! Oh well.

 

Guess we can skip tomorrow since it is a leap year. Have already decided not to change my clocks this year. Not really any sense in it. As soon as they get changed, it is time to do it over again. Hardly ever have to do anything on time anyway. And there is always a time thing on my phone or ‘puter. Besides, the chickens are the only ones around here who demand things to be on time! They want out at daybreak and go up to roost when the sun goes down. They don’t need any clocks, ya see, so why should the old woman?

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Pollen and Haze.

 Pollen and Haze.

 

So the pollen count is about 11 on a scale to 12, and it does not take much guesswork to think that the haze in the heavens might be coming from the Panhandle where the entire place is burning to the ground! God bless the firemen and those is the path of the fires. The winds are horribly strong and erratic, so there is little to plan for either putting out the fires or escaping their path. Just pray for Texas and the folks in its northern sections.

 

Felt a bit like dancing when reading that the cancer that attacked Tami Yonts is now in remission. The prayers made a difference. She was determined to put her faith over the fear in her life, too. So, here is what she wrote: Tami Yonts is with Mike Yonts.

 

On this exact day one year ago, I suffered a stroke at work which led to the discovery of a metastatic brain tumor, and subsequently several other melanoma tumors all thru my body. Life as I knew it ended on that day. The roller coaster of brain surgery, radiation, and 11 months of immunotherapy ensued.

Today, one year later, my doctor said those magic words, “You’re in remission”!

I AM IN REMISSION!

Praise the Lord and thank you Jesus for loving me and healing me. Prayer is powerful and I can never thank all of you enough for being part of my beautiful miracle.

I’ll continue to have monthly infusions for a few years as this cancer tends to come back. Scans every 3 months will keep us on top of everything.

To God be the glory and Jesus is the hero of my story! Faith over fear forever!

   

 

My sister-in-law Jacqui said that Sterling is home from his surgery and has had some pain, but at least he is taking the pain meds like he should. He can be stubborn. But he did get up and eat some chicken noodle soup a bit ago and lay back down to sleep again. We can just pray that he can sleep all night and not get up and be in a lot of pain tonight. He has a terrible time sleeping sometimes. Thank you in advance for your prayers for him and for his wife. You know, she has to put up with him even if she does kinda love him.

 

The grass is mown and it seems to please the silly hens. The dogs got their kicks by doing all kinds of barking about things, but at least we have not lost any animals out there in the jungle or had any blown over Kemp to the State grounds! Dang! That wind is a blowin’!

 

Took some of Shona’s wonderful enchiladas down to Patty earlier today. Took her two chicken and two beef enchiladas in containers. She bragged about them both, but said she had never chosen anything except cheese enchiladas when they went to Pioneer for dinner. Now she knows what kind to ask for next time she orders! The ones at Pioneer are good, but the old woman always calls them the “Famous Indigestion” instead of the Famous Enchiladas! One of these days, will have to take Shona to Pioneer for lunch or something so she will understand “what is a Pioneer”? Smiling!

 

Jacqui said that she would probably be up tonight because the weather where they are is supposed to be really bad. It may be flooding in California, but it is blowing across OK, TX, and Arkansas. We will just have to pray that no lives will be lost to the storms, winds, or fires.

 

Judie Brunson gave me a couple of packages of cookies yesterday and some little applesauce cups. Those just seemed perfect for a child’s lunch. Well, someone ate the applesauce, but the packaged cookies went across the street to be put into AJ’s lunch box. Always liked things that were neat to put in lunches, but never could afford anything except homemade. Not that homemade wasn’t good, but it just was not as “neat” looking. Funny how things like that matter to a kid or to a kid’s parent.

 

Thank all of you for praying for those who so desperately need prayer—and actually, that is ALL of US! My nephew who Carol Thonton calls “Jacob the Lionhearted” turned 15 years old the other day. Only by God’s grace and many prayers is that kid still with us. So, thank you, again, for your love.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Freaking Wind!!

 Freaking Wind!!

 

As if Texas did not have enough of anything else to make things interesting, this afternoon the wind is blowing ninety to nothing! Siri told me that the winds are at 17 mph blowing southwest right now. My weather station on top of the house needs new batteries or to be relocated so that it can be more accurate, but am willing to bet that some of these gusts are much faster than any 17 mph or whatever the news stations have them clocked at. Tried looking it up on the internet, but my understanding and their explanations just don’t mesh. Oh well. The freaking wind is blowing!!

 

Stayed outside messing around in the front yard long enough to get a bit of sunburn this morning. Not to mention the ant bites that were amassed thanks to a great big planter that is too heavy to move and too full of good potting soil. Went out to the shop to look for the ant poison, but must have already used it all up. Could use the sharp shooter and dig some of the soil out so the rest could be dumped in the flower bed—ants and all. Maybe tomorrow. After unloading feed bags and getting pretty dusty messing around out front, a shower felt pretty good. Lay down for a little bit, but could not get easy. Guess more exercise on a daily basis would be better than these spurts of activity, but you know how it is. You do what you need to do when it needs to be done.

 

Reading the Monday’s Medal of Honor blog by Tara Ross this morning. The helicopter pilot made the comment that no one should ask someone to do something that he/she would not do themselves. It reminded me of a criticism heard about a friend who refused to take a fuel truck out on the apron for the helicopters coming in during an intense enemy attack. The guy who was doing the criticizing could have jumped out of his helicopter and gone after that fuel truck himself, but instead he called the “gas jockey” a coward. Many a helicopter group refused to go into an area where the battles were intense for the same reason this guy did not drive a truck out there to be blown up. Sterling said that one of the men who took fuel up into the mountains from their camp never had a chance—they blew his truck to pieces with him in it. Sterling made that same drive a few times, but God blessed him with protection. Kinda think the prayers of our parents had a lot to do with his return from Vietnam. But Tara Ross made the point that the real heroes of that war did not consider themselves to be heroes. They just did the job that they knew to do the best they could.

 

Trying to put sunflower seeds in a bin and dropped the bag to spill a big pile inside the middle coop. Guess they won’t need any thrown out for a few days. Oh well. And if it rains, we may have an interesting crop of sunflowers right inside the coop door!

 

Kind of amazing that this is the last week of February. Seems as if this year is just blazing away. As much as the old woman tries to avoid any news, it just is not possible. And now the IDF is attempting to get the remaining hostages from Hamas out of Gaza. May God bless both the hostages and the men and women of the IDF army. Could it be that God will bless the nation of Israel to such an extent that these remaining hostages will come home to us before the month is gone? As it is His will, may it be done.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Just Tired, But Determined.

 Just Tired, But Determined.

 

Actually cooked a bit today and peeled a bunch of really good apples that were bruised and just needed to be eaten. Got the apples from some that were given away by one of the stores as too bad to sell. They just don’t realize that it is not only animals that enjoy the throwaways. Anyway, currently have a tray of cookie dough ready to go in the oven. Only making one pan in order not to tempt the old woman to eat more than she needs. Also, made some noodles with pimentos and sauce that turned out good. Put big chunks of chicken in there to make it worth the effort. Cooking ahead is always nice, but only one container went in the freezer. Oh well.

 

Have a grocery sack out on the bench on the front porch for a friend to pick up—if she remembers. Saturday the postman came and got the eggs left out for him and did not bring the egg cartons. Not a biggy. Some folks remember and some don’t. But told my friend Judie not to bring cabbage this time. The hens are doing well right now with the grass that came up out in the side lots. The back yard may never recover from all the hen scratching, but can think of worse things. High grass does not happen with chickens left free to roam.

 

The blooms have opened up on the plum tree on the west side of the deck. If it doesn’t freeze, there might even be a plum or two! At least the bees are enjoying themselves. Still, have not seen any type of sprouts on the mesquite trees. And it is still February!

 

Just took a shortish nap. Did not really plan to sleep, but that is still what happened. Maybe it won’t mess up sleeping tonight. Just seems like my head feels heavy from the inside today. Probably that high pollen count has a lot to do with it.

 

Have never really figured out how to make my phone stay quiet. One of these days maybe the volume button or something will do that. The silly text messages always ding twice. Texts are nice enough in some ways so that a person does not have to put words in order in a real conversation, but a tired old woman could do without the extra dings when she is already feeling dingy.

 

Still have no idea how Zeke Ambrosius is doing except that he is still in the hospital. Know those parents are just about exhausted and feeling lost right now. Losing a child is terribly hard whether it is two days old or two years old. Think Zeke is one year old maybe. Still praying that brain damage will not be the result of all of this struggle.

 

Have some snap dragons to put out tomorrow if the weather permits and my energy returns. Something about a snap dragon just makes me smile. Love the name, too! You have all probably seen that business about being the dragon who has lost its snap or the snap taking over the dragon. Think the old woman has lost her snap! Definitely a draggin’.

 

May God help us and keep us through these days. It seems the entire world is either burning or about to be bombed into dust and fumes! May the weather not wash away or blow away our country and not fail to water the places that desperately need the rain. God knows what we need, but we need to acknowledge His way of doing things.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Dictionary or Stupidity.

 Dictionary or Stupidity.

 

At this stage of my life, one thing that matters maybe the least is carnal activity. The older one gets, the less some things matter while other characteristics matter so very much. To put it bluntly, sex matters so very little compared to the development of character. Some scriptures mention that no one will be given in marriage in God’s kingdom. It would seem that those who are resurrected as belonging to Christ will be “married” to Him. That is to say, the Church is the bride of Christ. Now, in this life, being married to Lewis meant so very much to me. He made me feel cherished and honored—loved deeply. This is how it would be in a marriage to Christ in my estimation.

 

One other scripture says that there will be neither male nor female. Ok. Memories don’t go away easily in this life—especially since we accept certain roles as women or men. How this works out in God’s kingdom is not my concern at this time. However, how we behave in a marriage right now, in this lifetime, matters a great deal. In my personal estimation, being totally committed to one person in marriage has more value in life than all the money and fame and adoration of the world. Being faithful is what we should expect of ourselves and our mate. Today that type of faithfulness has been jettisoned for glamour and money, for temporary bolstering of individual vanities. We know that Christ is faithful. So, it stands to reason that unfaithfulness comes from Satan. Yes, we all, unfortunately, have known someone who has been led—or let themselves be led—astray. Our society has increasingly accepted divorce and fornication as a way of life. This attitude does not come from God. Selfishness, self-centeredness, the narcistic personality comes from someone who has always had their own way and thinks it only one’s due. Spoilt rotten does not smell good and does not flavor life with goodness.

 

How many entertainers show what happens to their children when they cannot manage to stay committed to one person in marriage? Will those children suffer the consequences of the lack of faith shown by their parents?

 

Having subscribed to an area on FB for women over 60 has been an eye-opener. So many men have decided that the old woman is no longer relevant to their lives. Oh, this happens to both younger women and also to men, but the problems remain the same—especially when children are involved. No child should feel as helpless as one who cannot depend on a parent to love him or her forever. And yes, there are parents out there who are so selfish as to disown their children if the child does not do to suit them. Look up the definition of the narcistic person. Everything is someone else’s fault! But we can’t blame Satan or society for our lack of character if we have eyes to see it. Sad, just sad.

 

The dogs are very entertaining today. They must have thought the smoke coming out of my office needed to be cleared, so they just knocked the plants out of the living room window. Dust mop and pan to the rescue. At least that is one thing the old woman can repair.

 

May your lives be filled with opportunities to share true love.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Ouch! Daily Duties!

 Ouch! Daily Duties!

 

Well, actually, the coop cleaning does not have to be done every day, but often enough that getting over the soreness makes me dread the next scooping job. The front coop was really not all that bad, but still, it takes time and some lifting using those favorite muscles across the backside. Argh!

 

Making the bed this morning and complained to Sylvia that she is going to have to start sleeping in her crate again. Between the two of us, that bed was a mess of tangled blankets. She has one that is supposed to be HER blanket. Yeah, right. Her body may be on it, but the ears, the head, and a paw or three may be some-where else entirely! It’s my own fault for letting her get up there to begin with, but just can’t stand it when they whine. She used to whine only when she was scared or the weather made her nervous, but now both dogs do it. Think Thompson just whines when he hurts, but that gets her started. Then there are the “sir-barks-a lot” nights. Something they can hear that an old woman would be able to ignore or simply not hear! That starts the up and downs at all hours. But, gripes aside, really do love my dogs.

 

Dr. Blackwell just left with four dozen eggs. That should keep her in eggs for a week or more. Have to save up some now for Maggie and David and then more for John and Mary. Always have someone who needs eggs it seems. Judie and her husband come get eggs when one or the other of us thinks of it. It used to be that with only six hens, keeping a dozen eggs was a two-or-three-day job for the girls. With 21 hens out there, the dozens get filled up much faster. Was teasing Dr. Blackwell about having to go out there and squeeze the hens to get that final dozen!

 

My hens are hilarious! Took a pan of left over dog food that contained some English peas in it out to the deck. One of the red hens flew across the yard and slid into the pan as if it were first base! Had to laugh! They cleaned that pan in nothing flat! Now you know that going off the deck is a fairly brave action since my feet are being flogged by hungry (not really) hens. They have feed out all the time, but something different or fresh must really appeal to them.

 

Tomorrow at noon will go to Affordable Dentures and hope that they will have a check ready for me. Made up my mind and called them yesterday, so they have had time to do the paperwork. Just have been praying that they won’t fuss at me.

 

Talked to a couple of folks today about the illnesses going around. One friend has had “long covid.” Apparently, it takes time and the right diet to recover from that one. She said her doctor wants her to eat protein that does not contain much if any fats. Kinda hard to determine unless you have a degree in nutrition.

 

Raye’s grandmother said that Raye is still in St. Jude’s children’s hospital. Her mother will eventually post how things are going, so for now we just need to pray that the child will not lose her eyes to this cancer.

 

Even having read the book several times, these studies in Revelation by Lehman Straus have boggled my mind. Some of the things that were already IN my mind have been re-arranged. Timing is God’s thing. Trusting is ours. All we can do is pray and wait and do our best to be what He would have us be.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Bangs!

 Bangs!

 

Think it is going to really be necessary to make an appointment to let Amber loose on this mop of hair. Can’t stand the bangs in my eyes!! But today has been one of those days anyway! Put chicken on in the roaster, planning on going to United tomorrow to buy more chicken, and then Friday taking these torture devices back to the dentist to get my money back! Life is too short to bear with this kind of pain. My others may be somewhat too loose, but at least they don’t cut up my gums. The bangs, however, are going to blind me!

 

Have been watching the posts for baby Ambrosius. They said the seizures have finally stopped, but the brain swelled and they had to cut a hole in his head to relieve the pressure. They are praying now that there will be no or little brain damage. It is just a horrible situation. If you can and feel like it, make a donation to the kids so that they can stay in KC with the baby. Follow my posts to find the place to donate.

 

Our Texas governor is still biting back at Biden and the mess he has allowed to be created at our southern border. The Mexican president painted arrows on the highway to show the illegal immigrants the way to the USA, but Abbott is renewing the boundaries with razor wire. He had the state troops to take over an island that was totally corrupted with weapons, caches of explosives, drugs, and tons of immigrants. At least the gunfire has stopped along there for the time being. Honestly wonder what will happen next since other Republican governors are sending their state national guards and highway patrol agents to fight against this invasion. Maybe we could get some advice from Israel. Sigh.

 

Am tired tonight for some reason. Michelle Malay told me to go to United and buy chicken again. On sale. So glad that they have these sales. It is just too dadgummed expensive to buy meat otherwise. Well, any kind of real food is expensive, but especially meats. Have wondered about the oatmeal that my kid eats each morning since they are saying that something is in it that makes folks sick. Have you noticed that it is always something that is put into the food stuffs? Normally, carrots, tators, lettuce and such don’t have anything bad in them unless they got sprayed accidentally. Wonder how oatmeal ended up on that list.

 

Cousin Bob Pollard said that his little granddaughter is home from the hospital and recovering from appendicitis and pneumonia. Thank you for your prayers. Sterling goes into the hospital this coming Tuesday for the hernia repair. Such fun. Wondering how he and Jacqui are going to fare since she does not cook at all and can’t get around to clean. Maybe a home help aide would work for a week. Will mention it to him.

 

For now, let us celebrate the warmer weather and smile when we see things beginning to bloom. Yes, we know that the mesquites have not yet had a bud on them. Sure sign of another freeze coming, but we can still hope. So, praise God for good days and any laughter that we can find. May you all have peace.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Still Tryin' to Chew!

 Still Tryin’ to Chew!

 

Last week ago, Tuesday, the dental assistant drilled off a couple of places that were eating my biscuits and tearing up my gums. Today the receptionist told me that it would be March 5^th—two weeks from today, before they could see me again. Dear Hearts, if the old woman could wear them, this would not be a big deal, but for over $2K, they need to get their customers in to get things to fitting right! If this does not make a BIG difference in comfort level, they are going to have a problem with me. Have been wearing partial plates and dentures now since turning 16 after Granddad Kennedy’s horse threw her head up into my face, but have never had this kind of trouble adjusting to a denture. Granted, all those dentists are dead now except for Dr. Hyde who left public practice, but apparently, they knew what they were doing. This set is just not working right.

 

Baked up some of the cookie dough made yesterday. Put in butterscotch and semi-sweet chocolate chips, walnuts, and macadamia nuts. Turned out pretty good. Made the rest of the dough into balls and put them into a Ziplock bag to freeze for convenient baking any time. Also, cooked up a big pot of Brussel sprouts and froze those in Ziplocks as well. Convenience makes all the difference in how we react to meals and sweets. One pan of cookies can be enough to share with a neighbor and enough to keep an old woman happy for a day.

 

Patty gave me the neatest little opener for bottles or whatever. It is just the right size to open a water bottle when my fingers are too sore to get the job done. Noticed this morning that my right thumb just does not want to grip the edge of a pan with hot pads. That could become a problem if gripping were one of the things that had to be done repetively! MS Word did not like that last word. It would bother me if it were misspelled, but it isn’t. Maybe it is just not all that commonly used. Have found that happens rather often with this program. Words the old woman uses are highlighted as if they are totally wrong. Hmm.

 

Talked to Sterling earlier. We got to laughing about someone’s attitude, and he started singing: Everybody hates me, nobody likes me; I’m gonna go eat worms! Great big fat ones, little bitty skinny ones—Oh! How it tickles when they squirm! Well, anyway, we both knew the song the way Daddy had sung it, but looking it up told me that it originated in 1977. Not sure how that came about since Daddy used to sing it before that! Go figure! Things like that go around in history maybe.

 

Texted Zina Ambrosius Haas about little Zeke. Unless God intervenes and quickly, the baby will have brain damage as his brain kept swelling. They poked a hole in his skull to relieve the pressure, but it is critical that the kiddo get better quickly. All we can do is pray for the child and for his family. They are all exhausted. They know that God heals. They haven’t given up. We need to hold them up in prayer. Sometimes what we ask is not given to us, but it is never too much to ask.

 

Tomorrow is another day. We can rest this evening and know that when we sleep, we are given the kind of rest that the entire world needs right now. Blessings of love and peace.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Almost Accomplished.

 Almost Accomplished.

 

Felt half-way decent this morning to start off and got a few things done: swept the deck, swept the leaves from Thompson’s exploits from the carpet strips, vacuumed, wet mopped. Yep, almost felt as if the old woman had accomplished something. Then went outside again and managed to get a headache. Dadgumit! Had not had any real coffee and that might be what the problem was, but lay down for a bit and felt better. Then decided to mix up some cookie dough to put in the fridge. It is in there now and all the measuring cups and things are washed. Even put up another holder thingy to hang the cups and measuring spoons on! Not sure if that will help me find things, but it can’t hurt. Usually have to stand on my head practically to get to the drawer containing these things.

 

Saving up eggs for Dr. Blackwell and found out that Friday is her birthday! Birthdays are great! We keep having them and finding ourselves a little bit older all along. Beats the alternative, right?

 

Talked to my brother earlier. His oldest child will be 58 on December 8 this year. He just found out that he has stage four kidney disease. That should have been caught much earlier, but think the vets in Arkansas are better than the doctors. At least they are not as busy getting critters down the chutes in less than five minutes! Stage five kidney disease requires dialysis. Please pray that things don’t get to that point for Danny. His family depends on him for so much, but especially to be there for them.

 

Ok, you have seen that Angel Ambrosius’ grandson Zeke has been having seizures after running 102 fever. These are their latest updates:

Update: They are having to give him a blood transfusion.

Please keep praying. His seizures have not stopped. They are putting him on a very strong dose of medicine that will put him into coma.

Please also continue to pray for no Brain damage....

Please also pray for the continued strength of Zane and Kassandra. They are doing amazing considering watching their sweet boy go through all of this.

Please know, I'm trying to respond to all of you amazing prayer warriors. We are incredibly grateful and so inspired by all of your kindness. Thank you.

Melody Andrews Zina Ambrosius Haas

 

Update-- Praise Jesus!! His scan looks ok. Some swelling still and we don't know why yet... but the 2 big take aways right now is 1 his heart looks good and 2 his brain has normal activity!!! Thank you, all for praying.

Still need the prayers.

Another prayer request. They are about to take Zeke for a CT test to test for positive brain activity. Please pray that everything is ok for our little guy.

And thank you... can't say that enough right now. Please know we are so appreciative to all of you.

Melody Andrews Zina Ambrosius Haas Gwen Malone

 

While we are all on our knees, please pray for my friend Stephen Smith. He had two back-to-back seizures on Jan. 19 and tore the crud out of his back again. He has already had surgery there once, and it is a mess now. Not sure he will ever be able to do anything again. He was a farrier, and can’t swing a hammer now. VA is in OKC, too. He has a lady there to watch over him during the day, but not at night. Please pray that something works out.

 

God has given us the right to ask as His children for help in our lives and in the lives of others. Let us exercise from a kneeling position!

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Comfort Levels.

 Comfort Levels.

 

The heater in the big bathroom is on right now to knock the coolness off that room. Either a soak in the tub or a hot shower is going to happen later on after the hens are fastened into their coops and the curtains drawn in the living room. Just need some relaxed muscles to happen this evening. Not sure if it is the weather or my dingy thoughts that have me tied up in knots, but definitely need the muscles to relax. Since Shona is having some of the same problems, maybe it is the weather. Or not.

 

Still going back through Lehman Straus’ lessons on the Revelation. It is difficult for me to understand how anyone can worship an idol, but then we might have to consider exactly what constitutes an idol. We see the world around us and want things. We want security. We believe that each of us is more special than any other person. Duh. It is one thing to recognize one’s self and the necessity to govern one’s self, but none of us can assume that we deserve some thing or recognition more than another person. Christ gave His life for those called to Him. Why one would be called and another is not? Can’t answer that question, but am convinced that we should answer the call for sure! Somehow those called have a job to do. Don’t know what that job will be either. Can’t expect someone to come up and hand us a job description for this life. EXCEPT He did. He gave us the job description. Love God. Love one another as He loved us.

 

Just thoughts for the evening. Maybe physical maladies are part of the job description. Can we love despite problems and aches? Can we be giving despite our sorrows? He did.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Just Goofin' Off Again!

 Just Goofin’ Off Again!

 

Other than dust moppin’ and vacuuming, my main endeavor today has been to go out and gather the eggs and try to keep the silly hens out of the workshop. Moved the feed bins inside the workshop to have more room in the coops, but the hens follow that feed when they see what is going on. Two of the red hens were determined to stay in the workshop after feed was tossed out for them. The same two hens would not mind following me inside the kitchen if the old woman were not paying attention! Silly chickens!

 

For some reason, the Civil War was on my mind this morning. Think what brought that on was the facts that have been popping up in my feed about the enormous amount of production in Texas—more than most European countries! And yes, someone is always calling for Texas to secede from the Union. Not happening! That war may not totally be over in some minds, but Texas has its own state of being that has nothing to do with denying our neighbors’ rights. Some say that Texas is a state of mind anyway. Pretty well true.

 

One thing that saddens folks my age is the lack of knowledge that is prevalent among younger generations. And then some dipsticks want to erase history and all the statues that ever existed so that no one will ever learn the truth—well, truths. You have to understand that each race has its truth. Joe Malay posted once that the Irish women who were brought over here were often used as brood mares for the black slaves in order to provide strong, healthy children. Did you just shake your head? What about the Indian children who were taken from their parents in Oklahoma and put into “schools” where they were not allowed to speak their own language. They had to conform to the white man’s way in clothes and language, but they were never given the right to vote back then. Native Americans from each area were downtrodden to the extreme. In some ways, that is still true. My daughter tells me that there is not enough Indian (Cherokee) blood in our DNA to even think about claiming to be “part” Indian. Funny. One of my cousins knew about Benjamin Greenberry, our great-great grandfather who was born on the Trail of Tears in what became Oklahoma. My husband’s great-grandmother was only half Cherokee, but Rachel Dickerson was apparently quite dark compared to the English settlers in Forrestburg, Texas. All kinds of folks have settled this country from all the different nations—Germans, Japanese, Irish, Scots, English, Spanish, French, African, and any number of other nationalities. We are all brothers and kinfolk. Cousins, if you will.

 

It seems that the older we get, the more we notice the inequities between those who have just grown up and those who were reared. To me, one of the greatest disasters in America is the lack of two-parent homes. It really does not matter what sex someone is if that person knows how to love a child and give it the reassurance it needs to grow up with some self-reliance and confidence. We can’t all have big houses and wonderful schools, but we can all have someone to love us if folks work at making a life together. It doesn’t matter whether we are Spanish, Irish, Indian, or just plain Duke’s mixture, God made us all in HIS image. The politicians are going to make a mess of our nation one way or the other, but we don’t have to let them make a mess of our families. We can ask for God’s help with teaching our children to love others. No matter where our family heritage originated, when it gets right down to brass tacks, God is our father. His son Jesus Christ loved us even while he was dying for us. Let us praise His name and ask, always ask, for His blessings.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Vet Visit Velocity!

 Vet Visit Velocity!

 

These two dogs are something else! Have a head halter on Sylvia to keep her from dragging me wherever she intends to go, and she promptly came out of it. The vet tech put it back on her and fastened it to her collar so that we had a chance of controlling her with sheer muscle strength. It’s too bad that all that determination cannot be put to good use pulling a wagon or something of that nature. Thompson is a good boy who mostly minds me, but he, too, would like to go “now, now, now” when he thinks we are heading out a door. So, my hair was standing on end and my arms were tangled in leashes, but we made it back to the truck. Before getting out at the carport, it was simple to just unleash them. They knew where we were going and had fun getting there and smelling all the good stuff in between. Nothing like taking the dogs for a vet visit!

 

While at the vets’ office (yes, plural vets), a young lady came in with a cat in a carrier. It meowed once and got very quiet. Sylvia had her nose in the air trying to determine if it needed to be chased. Then a man came in and was at the desk to pay his bill. The young lady’s eyes got as big as mine when we heard the total that went over $4K. It really made me wonder what it the world they did for that critter! Maybe it was boarded for months! Can’t imagine not just getting a critter sitter.

 

Looks as if the weather is about to get pretty cold again. We are supposed to have freezing nights before the temps get back up in the 70s by Tuesday. Guess it really does not matter. The hens all have lots of feathers to cover their bodies and a warm coop where they roost. Life is not bad for them at all. Well, and they get the occasional head of cabbage to help out in the grazing and pecking department. They are not always happy to have the things rearranged in their coop, but so far none of them have left the premises in frustration. Took the feed bins out of the coop, and now they have to jump on a small ladder to get up high to their roosts. Oh well.

 

Gathered some eggs out in this wild wind after cleaning the outside vent cover on my dryer hose. Getting outside right now is not very much fun, to put it mildly. Earlier when taking the dogs to the vets’ office, it was not all that bad. SO glad to have that “little” task finished. Would not want to wrangle dogs and deal with the cold wind at the same time.

 

Looking out over the front yard at the flower bed that bloomed last year with a profusion of poppies, it is noticeable that the broad leaves are coming back—likely poppy flowers! Just looked up the leaf shapes and read that it is illegal to grow some poppies in the U.S. Good grief! Of all the things that could be silly! Know that morning glory seeds are poisonous—as well as the daturas and some other pretty flowers—but poppy seeds that come on bread and buns are the same type that we are not supposed to grow. Yet, it is ok to have the seeds. Go figure. Oh well. It is not like the folks who like flowers are going to go out there and collect the poppy capsules unless they are collecting the seeds to replant. Don’t think most of us would know how to make a drug out of them anyway. With so much of that really bad drug in the country right now, can’t imagine anyone worrying about pretty flowers.

 

Continuing to read Lehman’s lessons on Revelation. Read through this thing once, but slowing down to think about it makes me believe that mankind has done everything over and over again that God has told him not to do. And none of us are really innocent. We make idols of things or a way of life. Each day should begin with appreciation for the rest that we are given. It specifically says that the day is coming when there will be NO rest. You have heard that expression: “no rest for the wicked.” Well, it is not just an expression. It really is coming to pass. So, for now, let us thank God for rest and for His love.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Meals On . . . Across the Road!

 Meals On . . . Across the Road!

 

When you find someone who is a really good cook, what do YOU do? This morning it occurred to me that Shona is a terrific cook. Since it does not bother me to pay to have my house cleaned, it seemed like it makes sense to pay someone to cook for me when cooking is about the very last straw in my bonnet. Dear Hearts, sometimes the idea of cooking is just a bit much. And no, those dinners in the frozen foods section just don’t get it! So, tried to kind of bargain with Shona. We will eventually work out something that suits her, but can honestly say that even though this old woman is just an old WHITE woman, just about anyone can enjoy the kind of food that Shona cooks. Her husband is Mexican, and she cooks to suit him. So, she managed to avoid a bunch of that spicy stuff he likes and made some enchiladas for me. Yum! Now several containers are in the freezer with enchiladas and some roast that got cooked in Jennifer’s big roaster. That way, all the stuff needs is thawing and an extra veggie or something to go with it.

 

By the way, for anyone who likes beef once in a great while, United has it on sale this week (until Tuesday of next week). It is half the price it usually sells for, so a couple of long packages of roasts will keep me in beef for quite a while. Think the idea of chicken is about enough to get me right now. Just about chickened out.

 

Have decided to raise SIX little chicks if the right kind show up at TSC. Want Marans if possible. They are just good chickens that seem to stay healthy. Got a heater for them and can keep them in the long coop where the flowers and bedding plants are stored for now. The little brooder has the kind of hail screen that prevents snakes and other critters from bothering the chicks. We will see how that goes this year. Getting rid of the DE and putting down wood chips will be interesting. Did not know that DE is carcinogenic. The Chicken Chick teaches all kinds of interesting facts about chickens, and hens especially. Of course, she can have a rooster where she lives, so she can also hatch out her own chicks. Even bringing in fertile eggs can be a problem here unless one has a small brooder for the hen. The little chicken house that Gary made for my hens is just perfect for a broody hen, but it is about to fall apart now. Things like that don’t last forever.

 

Need to finish reading these two books that Sterling loaned to me before he gets here to bring me the new pantry. Those books are great reminders of God’s character. It does not take much to get my focus off of something. But today has been a reminder that God has made promises that we can trust. My cousin Bob Pollard has a granddaughter (Charlotte) whose appendix nearly burst, plus she had developed pneumonia. God promises healing if we ask. Tami Yonts desires healing and trusts that faith will overcome fear. Being sick is danged scary, but whether soon or later, God will heal us. John Pollard still needs to be healed. My brother Sterling has surgery soon. My friend Michelle suffers daily from RA and the pain that goes with knees that are bone on bone. We all—ALL—are in need of healing from either physical, emotional, or psychological wounds. Wounds of the spirit may not show on the outside, but they are just as painful as physical wounds. Even so, God has promised to heal us. Let us TRUST Him.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Takin' It Easy.

 Takin’ It Easy.

 

Not doing much more today than picking up eggs and talking to all the critters. Spent the night feelin’ somewhat less than great. Life goes on.

 

My dogs saw a cat along the east fence and ran down there to bark at it. Now Thompson can hardly put his right back leg down to walk. Poor critter. Arthritis is really the pits!

 

Sent a message to the daughter of a friend to see if she was doing ok since she never answered my note or called me. Seems she is fine but up to her eyebrows in family affairs. Typical of women who retire to take on another generation to raise. It is just not easy to let them just rear themselves.

 

My friend Lisa Carden up near the Wichita Mountains lost her mom last night. Sue was up there in years and had had heart trouble forever, but things were getting mighty uncomfortable for her. Sometimes death is a release. Even so, Lisa and her brothers will miss her. Moms are pretty essential to our sense of wellbeing in life.

 

Spoke with Patty for a few minutes on the phone. The wind is bothering her just as much as it is my hens. She is breathless but still breathing. And the pollen count just continues to climb. And things are really not blooming that much yet!

 

We talked about how the definition of treason has been tossed around by the one who has accepted money from our enemies. We can almost bet that history will wonder what our generation was thinking someday.

 

As glad as we might have been to see that two of the hostages have been rescued, at the same time Hamas was able to kill two of the soldiers who were on the rescue team. Can easily see how the Israelis could want to just plow that part of Gaza off the face of the earth and dig down deep enough to rid every inch of the tunnels the creeps have used to hide their horrors and perfidy. May God bless the people and government of Israel!

 

Find myself wishing for a handful of cookies. No, they are certainly not needed, but you know how it is when you have not felt like doing anything and just want a nibble of something. Could certainly gain some weight with that kind of attitude! My hens seem to feel very much the same. They have not had a head of cabbage in three days now! Gave them some stuff from the fridge a bit ago that seemed to make them happy. Shared a couple of cheese sticks with the dogs and then gave them each a salmon and sweet potato cookie (dog variety).

 

Well, one more word of Spanish—gracias! Mr. Miranda and his older granddaughter came and brought a big sack of scratch for my hens. Was not about to tell him that they don’t get corn because it makes them too fat and too hot. But gave them the eight eggs collected today anyway. It is difficult at times to give the eggs away, but lately someone wants them each day. Still have to save some for Maggie and David and then for my doctor. Well, the girls are just going to have to stay on task!

 

We can be thankful that this wind is just wind and not down bursts or tornados. The weather has certainly felt weird lately. Have seen a tornado in December before, but can only pray that we won’t be hit by anything like that this year. God is in charge—weather included. He allows Satan his reign of this world for now, but that won’t last forever. Some of us are determined to read God’s word and apply it to our lives. We trust in His Word!

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Education and Inequities.

 Education and Inequities.

 

Even when we were children in elementary school in the little burg where we lived, it was obvious when some kids did not have a clue about reading. No one had ever read to them and showed them how to carefully turn the pages. No one had made the right voice changes for different characters. No one else learned to read by following their mom’s finger in the church hymnal during singing, either! Eventually some folks figured out that children learned to read more easily if they heard poetry read aloud or heard songs with words on paper. But this was back in the day—about seventy years ago.

 

Today an article about the schools of New Mexico interested me. Since more of that population speak Spanish than any other language, it might just be a good place to start teaching English and reading. If high school students who speak Spanish were offered college hours and scholarships for teaching English to poverty-stricken areas and schools, it is just possible that the level of education in that state could come up from the 50^th percentile as the worst educated to at least as good as some of the areas in the states with better schools. Poverty and lack of family stability truly make a big difference in young people. Give the children food to eat and a purpose in school and their parents a way to make a living without having to be migratory, and we could see a major change not only in that state, but among those who could help us build a better nation.

 

For years we have seen churches send missionaries to Latin America and Africa to help those people become more self-sufficient. In my estimation, we should have a major mission right here in the U.S. New Mexico needs help! Now this is not suggesting that we send a religious delegation to teach Christianity. Nope, the idea is to teach reading and understanding of what is read. Hello! We quite often see high school students in the “better-educated” states who have no idea that Hawaii is one of our states or that George Bush was not the second president after George Washington!! And please don’t ask any of them to tell time with an analog watch! No, we can teach each elementary student to read, to tell time, to listen to history from lessons about our nation—lessons that are NOT leaving out both the good and the bad. We don’t need to teach how to change sexes, but we do need those kids to know that a sperm on the lip of a vulva is all it takes for a girl to get pregnant. Ignorance is NOT bliss!

 

God has given this nation SO many blessings. He has given us a surplus of retired people right now who are well-educated, kind people who are happy to share stories of life and living as well as their understanding of how to build, to cook, to sew, to invent! And gardening! If there is land, it can be made into a garden. Just ask the people of Israel how the deserts became fertile in that land!

 

Let us find a foundation such as the Mars Foundation that can help organize people into crews who can make a difference among those who need help the most. Well, Texas might have a foundation like that if the Perot Foundation does things like that. But now that this nation has been invaded for real, we need to be sure that the children coming in have a chance to become more than just wage slaves. Let us give them a chance to read and change their lives! God has given that to this nation. WE need to share!

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Ever-Tree Ginger Beer.

 Ever-Tree Ginger Beer.

 

Not sure if it is an old woman’s attitude toward chicken or just a touchy tummy, but nothing seems to set well right now. Made a very small pan of chicken and dumplings—it DID sound good—but that didn’t set well either. Pretty bad when just something simple doesn’t work out. So, after one of those wonderful little pills that are required to keep everything under control, a small bottle of this stuff called Ever-Tree Ginger Beer is the next step to staying away from the nearest trash bucket. Totally non-alcoholic and quite a bit like plain ol’ ginger ale except it is strong on the ginger part!

 

Thought about taking Thompson and Sylvia to the vet today and get her nails trimmed and his blood work done, but just don’t feel up to hauling us around right now. But do have something funny to think about. Did ya know that squirrels will steal eggs out of a hen’s nest? Saw a squirrel run into the coop the other day. Had been wondering if the girls were upset about something of if something was getting in there to bother them. Sure enough. That explains what happened to one of the “nest” eggs that was there to trick the girls into laying where a new nest was placed. If it had been the one that Jennifer found the other day that she said looked like a dinosaur egg, it would have really been funny. Just wonder what that stupid squirrel thought when it tried to eat that particular egg! Guess going out to check on the eggs more often might save a few eggs until that squirrel meets its maker.

 

Had chicken cooking all night in the roaster, so went to sleep with that smell and woke up with the same. Now it is all made into dog food and the roaster is cleaned up. Was out of sweet potatoes, so English peas, carrots, and broccoli went into this batch. Some lady on the Over 60s group wanted the recipe. Shoot! What recipe? It is just food! Now to tell the truth, the recipes in the dog biscuit book might get a work out soon. The dogs finished up their great big bag of hip and glucosamine type biscuits recently, but not sure just what the companies put into those type of things that is supposed to be good for a dog’s joints. It seems to me that the knuckles around the chicken joints might have stuff in them that would be good for the dogs, but who knows? They get that in their food despite the fact that it is pretty well cooked soft by the time they get it.

 

Woke up with a dinosaur in the bed this morning. Not sure which dog brought it up there, but they had decided to play tug of war with it to the detriment of the dino shape. Oh well. Nothing like happy dogs in the early morning!

 

We got about an inch and a half of rain over the two-day period, but Skip McBride (former weatherman) said we still needed a bunch more to fill Lake Wichita and the surrounding city lakes we use for water. Seems some Clay County judge vetoed the City of WF getting the permits to start Lake Ringgold. Have mixed feelings about it. Have always loved that strip of land across there. It is prairie that has never been plowed and has all the flowers and assorted critters that one would expect. Tiny little birds live across that area that remind me of the finches, except that they are way smaller. Not sure what they are, but once upon a time the little critters used to flit across the pastures near the farm-to-market highway close to Granddad’s farm. He never used any kind of poison out on the farm and had Harvester ants. Those, in case you are unaware, are the big red ants that horny toads eat. Lose the ants; lose the horny toads. They won’t eat fire ants.

 

Just found out that Shona was also a life member in PTA where she lived. Funny that we both are pushy women who want what’s best for the kids. Think that is the kind of moms needed today.

 

Will just be still and be thankful today for all the many blessings given to us by God. Let us enjoy the flowers coming up outside and appreciate the ones in the house as well. Green and blue must be God’s favorite colors. Soothing.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.